Method of producing carbon black



4 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed Nv. 22, 1924 NVENTOR mm ,h U. L uw R April 2, 1929. R. H. UHUNGER 1,707,775

METHOD OF PRODUCING CARBON BLACK Original Filed Nov. 22, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.

April 2, 1929. R. H. UHL'NGER A 1,707,775

llETHODlOF PRODUCING CARBON BLACK original Filed Nov. 22, 1924 4 sheets-sheet 5 INVENTOR R011 Uhnqer by /Lfs atrov'neg April 2, 1929. R. H, UHLINGER 1,707,775

METHOD OF PRODUCING CARBON BLACK original Filed Nov. 22, 1924 4 sheets-sheet '4 FIG. 7

Fla. s ne. s

INVENT-OR .R of., H. Uhlinger i Patented Apr. 2, 1929.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROY H. UHLINGER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T THERMATOMIC CARBON COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE.

Original application led November 22, 1924, Serial No. 751,484. Divided and this application led May 12, 1 926. serial No. 108,482.

i This invention relatesto a method for the production and collection of carbon black obtained by the decomposition of suitable hydrocarbons; and is a division of application A 5 Serial No. 751,484, filed November 22, 1924.'

tus; Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3 3 Figure 2; Figure 4 is a cross sectional view through the conducting'and conveying conduit of the apparatus; Figure 5 is a detail View in vertical section through the lock between the conduits for conveying the carbon black; Figure 6 is a similar View' taken at right angles to Figure 5; and Figure 7 is a diagrammatic plan,.view of apparatus comprising a single decomposing furnace.

The apparatus comprises primarily a plurality of decomposing furnaces A, B, C, and D. Each of these furnaces comprises a bottom wall l, side and top walls 2 and 3, a stack 4, and checkerwork 5 of a refractory material capable of 'continued use at high temperatures. 4 The process of decomposing the hydrocarbons for the produztion .of carbon black, consists in creating a high temperature within 0 the furnace, and passing the hydrocarbons to be decomposed through the furnace at a high rate of speed.

I'n conducting such process, air and a combustible gas are admitted to a lower portion of the furnace by way of air pipes 6 provided with valves 7, and gas pipes 8`provided with valves 9. The products of combustion pass upwardly through thefurnace, heating the checkerwork 5, and leave the furnace by way of outlet valve 10 in stack 4. This heating is continued until the interior of the furnaceA including the checkerwork 5 is raised to high temperature, desirably to a temperature no less than twelve hundred degrees centigrade and which may be as high as fourteen hundred degrees centigrade. I

The Valves 7 and 9 in the pipes 6 and 8 are then closed, and outlet valve l() in stack fi is also closed, valve 11 in the supply pipe 12 for the hydrocarbons to bc decomposed is then opened, and the hydrocarbons are admitted to the upper portion of the furnace.

In its passagethrough the highly heated checkerwork the hydrocarbon gas is decomposed by the high temperature and most of the hydrocarbon molecules are disassociatcd,

bon in gaseous combination into an elemental carbon black in solid state. Approximately two-thirds of the total quantity of the solid carbon black initially formed remains in the checkerwork and is not recovered. This carbon black -is that which if formed by impingement of the hydrocarbon gases against the heatedcheckerworln and that which, though otherwise formed, has come in contact with and adhered to the checkerwork. Such carbon is commercially Valueless, because it is in hard gritty form -due to the continued heating which it has received in the furnace.

When the temperature of the furnace has tion that it will no longer operate satisfactorily, the decomposing operation is discontinued and the furnace again reheated. For this purpose the valve 11 in the supply pipe l2 for the hydrocarbon to be decomposed is closed. The valves 7 and 9 in the gas and air pipes 6 and 8 are opened, and the valve l() in stack 4 is also opened. Combustion is thus again effected for heating the checkerwork Within the furnace. During this reheating operation a supply of air in excess of that required for producing combustion of the heating gas is supplied.

As the interior of the furnace is always at a relatively high temperature, the excess of air results in the combustion of the carbon black accumulated in the checkerwork. This combustion, or oxidation, results in the formation of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) which pass from the furnace .their carbon being thus converted from a carbeen so lowered by the decomposing operaby way of the stack 4 with the products of combustion of the fuel. This combustion of the detained carbon cleans the checkerwork, and also economizes fuel by utlllzmg the heating effect produced by the oxidation of this carbon.

The mixture of gases and carbon black in solid state, as such mixture passes from a decomposing furnace, is exceedingly difiicult to conduct to the point of separation of the carbon black from the carrying' gases. This is because there is a constant deposition of carbon black from the mixture on the interior surl'aee of a conduit, which deposited carbon black :ufcumulates so rapidly as to completely clog pipes .or tubes within a relatively short period of time. The separated` carbon black a lso possesses a marked tendency to mass and pack to clog a conduit through which it is liquid.' Any moisture in the carbon black,-

however, greatly emphasizes the tendency of the carbon black to mass and pack. It is, therefore, highly desirable that the carbon black be freed from the moisture of the cooling liquidas soon as possible after its separation.

. The decomposing furnaces A, B, C, and D are provided respectively with discharge conduits 13a, 13, 13C, and 13d`which open adjacent the lower extremities of cooling towers 14, 14f, 14, and 14d. Each of the cooling towers is provided with a plurality of sprays 15 receiving a cooling liquid from pipes 16. loth of the cooling towers 14a and 14c discharge adjacent the upper extremity of a mixing tower or downcomer 17, while both of the cooling towers 14b and 14d discharge adjacent the.upper extremity of a mixing towel' or downcomer 18. The downcomer, 17 has a discharge outlet, controlled by valve 19, into a conduit 20, which contains a. screw conveyor 21. The downcoiner 18 has a discharge outlet, controlled by a valve 22, into the same conduit 20 adjacent the opposite end thereof. -Tlie cooling towers 14@l and 14c communicate with the n'iixing tower or downcomer 17 by way of conducting and conveying conduits 23, each of which contains a screw conveyor 23a. Similarly, the cooling towers 14b and 14d communicate with the downcomer 18 byway of conducting 'and conveying conduits 24'each of which contains a screw conveyor 24.

Between the downcomers 17 and 18 are a plurality of collecting chambers 25 for separating the carbon black from the gases by which it is carried, and A for collecting this carbon black.. All of the collecting chambers 25 are in communication with a. gas disvwool or other suitable fabric, which serve to separate the carbon from the carrymg cur-` rent of gases. These sacks 30 may be agitated by any suitable means indicated generally by the reference numeral 31 to cause the separated carbon black to fall into vthe hoppers 28 at the lower extremities of the collecting chambers.

The carbon black is discharged from conduit 20 into a-second conduit 32, which is provided with a similar screw conveyor, and is carried through such c'onduit to a suitable storage bin or tank 33. Communication between the conduits' 20 and 32 is controlled by a special valve or lock 34. This lock comprises a rotatable shaft 35 carrying a plu-- rality of vanes 36, which closely engage the interior surface of the valve casing 37. As carbon black accumulates on a vane vof the valve, the shaft 35 may be rotated to discharge the carbon black into the conduit 32. It thus serves to discharge the carbon black, while preventing the passage of any appreciable volume of gas. A

If all the decomposing furnaces'A, B, C,

and D be utilized simultaneously in conductsprays 15 to a temperature lower than that at which they issue from the furnaces. From the cooling chambers 14 and 14c the mixture of gases and carbon black passes by way of conduits 23 and downcomer 17 into the conveyor conduit 20, and passes along such conduit in the direction indicated by the arrows. 'From conduit 20 the cooled mixture of'gases and carbon black passes into one or more of the separating chambers 25, the greater volume entering into the chamber or chambers which are closely connected to the downcomer 17. In the chambers 25 the carbon black is separated from the carrying gases, which pass by way of gas outlet conduit 26 to the gasometer 27. The carbon black, which is separated from the gases, falls into the hoppers 28, and is carried by the screw conveyor 21 .to valve 34 and conduit 32.

Simultaneously the mixture ofv gases and carbon black from the furnaces B and D passes by Way of cooling chambers 14. and 14, conveying conduits 25, and downcomer 18 into the conduit 20, along which such mixture passes in a direction counter to that indicated by the arrows. Passing into collecting chambers 25, such mixture is also separated into gases which pass to the gasometer, and carbon black which falls into the conduit 20.

It will be noted that a current of gas, which is still at a relatively high temperature, passes through the conduit carrying the carbon black in solid form, and that its direction is counter to that of the passage of the carbon black through the conduit.` The discharge conduit is thus maintained at a relatively high temperature throughout its length, and the carbon black is brought into intimate contact, subsequent to its separation, with a heated gas. The carbon black is thus freed from any moisture which it may have gathered from lvap'or condensed within the collecting chambers or from any other source, and is delivered for storage in an absolutely dry condition. Condensation of vapor within the conveying conduit itself is obviously prevented. i

It will be noted that the carbon black is not only kept free from moisture after its separation from the carrying gases, but that the arrangement as a whole is designed to avoid the collection and packing of carbon black in the conduits of the apparatus. Thus the passages between the furnaces and the common conveying conduit are short, and are either of relatively great cross sectional 'area or are provided with screw conveyors to carry along any carbon which might be deposited.

It is desirable, however, to so conduct operations in the unit that two of the decomposing furnaces are employed in effecting a decomposing operation while two are being heated -to the decomposing temperature. In such event the furnaces A and C should not vbe utilized for the decomposing operation nor undergo the heating operation simultaneously; and similarly the furnaces B and D should not be employed in a decomposing operation or undergo the heating operation simultaneously. By operating and reheating the furnaces A and B and the furnaces C and D, simultaneously in pairs or by operating and reheating the furnaces A and D and B and C simultaneously in pairs, the effect of the counter-passage of the separated carbon black and the heated gases may be obtained equally as well as when all the four furnaces are simultaneously at the same stage of their operation.

In Figure 7 apparatus comprising a single decomposing furnace A is shown. This apparatus also comprises separating chambers 38 for separating the solid carbon black from the gases or decomposition, and a single conduit 39 for conducting the mixture of gases and carbon black to the separating chambers and for conveying the separated carbon black from such chambers. It will be noted that in this arrangement the separating chambers 38 are disposed at one end of the conduit 39, and the lock 40, through which carbon is discharged int-o the second conveying conduit 41, is at the opposite end of conduit 39. The mixture of carbon black and hot gases from the furnace is thus enabled to heat the conduit, and such mixture passes along a portioniof the conduit in a direction counter to the direction -in which the separated carbon black is carried. With this arrangement the drying effect upon the carbon black may be obtained although the apparatus comprises only one decomposing furnace.

Vhat I claim is:

1. The method of recovering carbon black passed from a furnace admingled with gases produced therein, which consists in subjecting the mixture of gases and carbon black to a spray of cooling liquid, separating the carbon black from the gases by which it is carried, and freeing the separated carbon black from moisture by bringing the same into intimate Contact with the mixture of gases and carbon black from a decomposing furnace.

2. The method of recovering carbon black l passed from adecomposing furnace admingled with gases produced therein, which consists in subjecting the mixture of gases and carbon black to a spray of cooling liquid, separating the carbon black from the gases by which it is carried, and freeing the sepalatedcarbon black from moisture by conveying such carbon black along a conduit in a direction counter to the passage of a mixture of heated gases and carbon black from a decomposing furnace.

'In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand.

ROY H. UHLINGER. 

